Chapter 5

Kyungsoo and Sehun waited for the school's chauffer to arrive, as Sehun refused to go by the public transport or walk. The whole thing was stupid, Sehun commented. As smart as bait, and Kyungsoo's supposed to be the smarter one.

"Not as silly as someone who brings a chauffeur into a market place," Kyungsoo talked back. He looked at the chauffer over his shoulder apologetically. He didn't want to hurt the uncle's feeling.

"Nothing is more foolish than this," Sehun replied. "You're being illogical and counterproductive."

Their chauffeur was following them a few good steps behind. He knew better than meddling into any conversation he was not invited; he was to act as if he didn't exist until the master he was taking demanded for his attention.

Kyungsoo was not any ordinary Exo student. The boy chirped along the way and asked him about many things. The middle-aged man would have got all the answers had Kyungsoo asked about common things like the hottest clubs in town, the most expensive boutiques, or the best plastic surgeons in the area, but no, Kyungsoo made him feel like he was talking to a gritty ajumma. How was he supposed to know where to find fresh seasquirt or a certain red pepper sauce brand and dried seaweed?

The man made a mental note. He needed to broaden his knowledge for future reference.

***

Sehun regretted he didn't insist on not going there when he saw the commoner's market. He thought that Kyungsoo would take him to a common market, with its decent air conditioning and employees that were ready to get you everything you need.

This place was anything but that.

The noises were really loud. Stall employees were shouting energetically, offering their goods to the potential buyers. There were fruit stalls, meat, vegetables, fish stalls, and many more. All about the market freaked Sehun out.

Sehun looked at the small stores discouragingly. Tiny stalls along the street with their lamps or hanging bulbs that attracted insects would not do any good for his state of health. Sehun was sure that he saw flies - something he had only learned from the books before.

For god sake. These things could cause death. Are those Tse Tze flies? oh my god. Do commoners really encounter this life threatening situation on a daily basis? Sehun kept himself as far as possible from the deathly flies.

Sehun did know that Tze Tze flies originated in Africa (he was a straight A student after all), but they could probably be found here hypothetically.

People in various range of age were passing by, stopping at a stall once in a while to buy something after asking the seller for lower prices. Kyungsoo was also there, in front of a fish stall talking to one of the stall owners. He looked very interested in something; his hand was holding a grayish ball with pointy spines.

"Is the t-thing alive?" Sehun stuttered. Oh dear God.

Kyungsoo looked at the ugly thing like it was the most beautiful thing in the world, his eyes shone brightly.

"Of course. These are sea urchins, they are so delicious! We have to slice the shell using a sharp knife to get the flesh within. The flesh is pale, kinda slimy, but yummy! People often eat it alive, and the ual organ is a true delicacy..." Kyungsoo longingly said. He looked like he was about to drool.

Sehun became so pale.

The commoner's wisdom was too much for Sehun to handle. Limping a bit backward, he tried his best not to throw up. Kyungsoo, on the other hand, was oblivious by the latter's misery. He moved inside happily, admiring even uglier creatures in there. Sehun followed him with much hesitation, trying so hard not to look at the spiky balls. They eat them alive, oh God.

"Aunty, can I have these fish heads? You're gonna throw them out right?" asked Kyungsoo, staring at the stall owner with his dangerous sparkly puppy eyes. He pointed at a styrofoam box placed on the corner of the stall, consisting fish head that were still attached to their skeletons and tails.

A box filled with fish heads, attached to the skeleton and tail only. Those stuff glared at Sehun with their slimy accusing eyes.

Sehun knew that he was done. A minute longer there he would die.

"K-Kyungsoo.... I'm going to wait in the car." He spoke slowly like he was holding something inside his throat.

"Okay!" chirped the boy, being oblivious as always.

"Can I have the internal organs as well? I will separate the intestines and the biles myself..."

Oh dear God.

Sehun's face was turning green. He went back to the car, slightly feebly, with his chauffeur behind, ready to catch him if he falls.

Kyungsoo got back to the car thirty minutes later, holding a few plastic bags on each hand. Each plastic bag seemed contained even more dangerous items, and they smelled funny too. Sehun sat far across the boy, on the other edge of the passenger seat.

"I got chicken livers for free, can you believe it!?" Kyungsoo stated victoriously.

"I. don't. believe. it." Sehun choked.

"I know! Livers are yummy. They give away the chicken blood for free too!"

Sehun went out of the car and asked the chauffeur to open the front door for him.

***

Kyungsoo went into the kitchen as soon as they arrived at the dorm. He took out the ingredients from the plastic bags happily, mentioning each name and what he would do with them.

"Yummy fish heads! I will take your meat off of your bone and the one that within your head and put you into soup."

"Ah, you're gonna be a delicious soup too, dear chicken bones and skins yum yummm!" He expressed his satisfaction with a triumpant clap. "I can make broth out of you too you know, hm I wonder..." Kyungsoo pouted his lips as he was thinking of the probabilities.

"Maybe I can just keep you in the fridge for a while until I decide what to do with you." The boy nodded, opening the fridge to put the food container in the freezer.

"As for you, lungs, and you too, hearts, I can pan fry you. And yummy fish eggs can be boiled, or maybe pan fried too." hummed while taking them out of the styrofoam box.

Sehun couldn't take it anymore. He peeked through the slightly opened door out of curiousity, and now he regretted every second of it. He was going to have nightmares in a long time, especially about those fleshless fish heads glaring accusing stares with their slimy big eyes.

Sehun heard the boy exclaim enthusiastically as he walked further,

"I will deep fried you! You will be a yummy sauté dear beef intestines!"

Oh Lord.

Sehun hurriedly went to the nearest bathroom.

***

Kyungsoo called for Sehun by the time he was done with his cooking. Sehun, tasting the water a bit, walked reluctantly to the kitchen and stopped at the slightly opened door. He could not decide whether he had the endurance needed to carry on or not.

He peeked a bit and took a quick sniff. Nothing funny smelling could be detected yet; it smelled quite decent, to be honest.

Sehun decided to get inside the kitchen.

Kyungsoo was arranging the dishes on table, placing tableware and flatware.

Sehun immediately refused his share. “Kyungsoo, you don’t need to prepare anything for me, I’m not hungry.” I don’t want to die yet.

Sehun looked at the food on the table and sat on the farthest seat.

“That's too bad." Kyungsoo was a bit disappointed. "I just cooked you some delicious dishes."

“Ah well, I can cook you some other time!” The boy clapped his hands in determination, nodding in certainty. No, you can not. And wow, he surely is recovering fast.

Kyungsoo started to present each of his cooking proudly like a professional chef,

“This is fish eggs, I pan fried them, I bet the caviars would taste the same.” He nodded in confidence.

No, you wrong. I bet you haven’t even tasted caviar to begin with, Sehun mentally replied the boy's statement. He saw something grilled or pan fried on the next plate.

“These are the internal organs; lungs, hearts, and liver. I grilled them, adding some spices, and voila..! Believe me; they tasted so soft, creamy, and delicious!” Kyungsoo exclaimed, raising the plate for Sehun to see better.

I certainly don’t believe you.

Sehun moved even farther as the boy came closer carrying his precious plate of innards.

“I take off the meat and made delicious broth out of the rest. Trust me, this kind of soup could easily found in any five star restaurant,” Kyungsoo said in assurance, pointing proudly at something that looked like fish soup.

I don’t trust you. And again, you haven’t been to a five stars restaurant to begin with. What is the suspicious thing on the other plate? Dark icky red, with some kind of sponge holes all over the flesh, was that the chicken blood I heard you said you'd cook earlier? Okay. I’m done.

Sehun fought not to throw up. He inhaled deeply to steady his breath.

“Kyungsoo, I'm going to call the dorm management to arrange your settlement, card, fingerprint scanner, stuff. I will ask the school to send someone to get the measurement needed to make your uniforms as well,” he announced as he stood up, preparing to get out of the room fast.

“Wow, you don’t have to, Sehun! I can ask them myself. Why don’t you sit here and try some of these delectable dishes?” The smaller boy smiled, eyes staring at him with a hopeful gaze.

“No.” Sehun quickly got out of the room.

..........................................................................................................................................................................................................................................